George vowles



G. VOWLES.

Potato Digger.

Patented" May 26, 1868.

GEORGE VOWLES, OF NEW HUDSON, MICHIGAN.

Letters Potent No. 78,345, datcttMay 26, 18 68..

- IMPROVEMENT, IN POTATODIGGER.

titty: Snlnlmh time is in t eme 3mm an mating gm flflhttilllit.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: 4

Be'it known that I, GEORGQVOWLI-Iiof New Hudson, in the county of Oakland, and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Imjn'oved Potiito-Digger, and udiipted as u. bean-harvester; and Idc hereby declare that the folloiving is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, refercncebeing had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in-which- Figure 1 is a. perspective view, and

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the knife intendedtor use as a hean harvester.

Thenuture of my improvements will fully'hppeer irom the following specifieetion and claims.

A is the tongue, and B the handle, for directing the machine, the tongue being attached to e cross-piece, B, fastened to the handles. v C is the knife or shovel; it is a sharp blade, nearly stiaight on the edge, in the 'middle, curving towards the end, where-it is connectedwith the outwardly-bowed nrms G, which, extending upwards, are united to the handles by bolts, passing through nseries of holes, by which the relative position of the knife can be adjusted;

' On the back of the knife is attached a series ofiicurved' fingers, C which'ure inclined towards the rear i of the machine. These fingers are ,aiterniteiy longer-end shorter, for the purpose of more completely pulver izing the soil, and throwing the potatoes to the -sui'facyns-the knifeQpesses under the hills. D issrske, hinged to the-hack of the knife, to which it is connected bye-rod. This rulre is intended merelyfor'the purpose of throwing to the surface any potatoes which may have escaped thefingers on the knife. llhisrekemny bestayed laterklly by rods, attached tothe ends of thc'knife;

The depth, of the cut is regulated by cdjusthble. springs E,'utta ched tothelermsOLies hhown. Springs are used, so that on encountering stones-brother irregularities enthe surface, the driver, by hearing down on the bundles, muy keep the knife at its propercnd uniformdepth, the springs fielding to the pressure in passing over uneven surfaces. Stay-rods-F'nre extended back from the'front part of the handles to the arms 0. These rods, when bent to enter-the arms, are passed through holes in the end of spring, and form pivots,

' upon which the springs mey tu'rn in adjusting their height, by e. h'olt,.rpas'si ng through one of a series .ofholes in the arc onthe end of the spring. k l

' A hooked rake, G, is attached by n. hooked bolt, under the tongue se that it-meybe removed when not needed. It is intended to draw thevines to the front, sothatthe; may pass more essily through the arms,

vWithoutlodging thereon. The .p'ositicnof the rake, verticelly,may he reguleted by: the cord H and lever-I. 1 When drawn back, the lever may be secured'to the upper'crcss-stickot' the hsndles by a hook. I'.'.- It is to be raised in turning the machine. W v I v When the machine-is used for hnrvesting beensgthe knife shown in fig. 2-ie used, instead of theon shown in fig. 1. lt'mej he attached to thehandles und'bhirees in the some way; When theimnchine is useclfor the latter purpose, the rakes G and D are removed. I

What I claim as my invention, and desire *to secure'by LcttersPatenb, is 4 1. The knifeC, constructed with finge'rs.C, und1howed arms 0, hyw hichit is edjustu'nly attached to the hundles B,van'd connected also therewith by the hreces 1*, suhstentiellyas described.

2. In combination with the-knife, the adjustnhle' springs E, for reguluting the depth of the cut,suhstentially as described. v, v

3. In combination with the knife and finger's,-the rake D, substantially as described.

4. The arrangement of the tongue A,.hendles B, and cross-brace B, and knife 0, substantially as set forth.-

In testimony whereofi-I have signed my name to this specification in'the' presenceof two slihscrihing witnesses. GEORGE VOWLES,

Witnesses:

CLARK CRAWFORD, Jmrs G. PADLEY. 

